Stoneleigh 2006

Sun.30.04.06. I set off, in the rain, down the M6 at 8.30am to Stoneleigh for the National Kit car Rally, the largest in the World. I had, previously with Chris, drawn up a plan for the day. This mainly consisted of gathering written and photographic information of areas of the build that were particularly causing us problems. One of the prime targets was the ‘Hawke’, another clone of a Morgan. Haydn Davies maintains that this company emerged not long after his interest in the Burlington SS had waned, the design and promotion of the Berretta soaking up most of his energies. Having, earlier, stopped production of the SS, he has his suspicions of industrial espionage, as the appearance of the ‘Hawke’ is very close to his own fundamental design.

 My plan was to completely bombard this charlatan with photographs, from every angle: bonnet attachments, screen fittings and dashboard design were all prime targets, in an attempt to rob anything of quality that will benefit our own project, but also to reject its’ failings. Another mission was to photograph the more successful dashboard attempts. Usually, most kit cars have horrendous dashboards, for two reasons. It is often the final problem that the amateur builder faces, so often he is empty of inspiration, but more significantly, cash. The result is a cobbled up mess of cheap clocks, laminated woods, vinyl punctuated by a frighteningly disgusting steering wheel. All of this must be avoided by producing a tasteful balanced dash which, hopefully, I shall be able to design after seeing the best and the worst at the show. 

We have written a full and comprehensive shopping list of vital components which I hope to purchase. Steering racks, suspension units, master cylinders and pedals, spoked wire wheels, wiring looms, petrol tank, trunnions, bonnet catches, shocks, springs, discs, drums, areoquip brake hoses, Smiths clocks and gauges, steering wheel, lights, flashers, over riders, seats, rubber extrusions, and, finally, a windscreen.